# data[].attributes.body
Dear fellow alumni,

As a proud alumna, DKD sorority sister, and donor, who has served as a St. John's administrator and instructor, I remain rooted in the Vincentian mission which unites us.

I am seeking to spread awareness and ask for your support for the love of my life who I married later in life than most, and who is in need of a kidney transplant.

Please check out our story at Rally4Rolf.com, follow us on Instagram & Facebook, and please share out on your networks.

With gratitude,

Andrea (Papa) Kaumann '88SVC

# data[].attributes.headline
Fundraising help for an accessible vehicle 

# data[].attributes.subject
Fundraising help for an accessible vehicle 

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Megan Valente and I am a proud alumna of SJU Class of 2012. I am reaching out to the alumni of SJU in hopes that they are willing to help support or share a fundraising effort that is very important to my family. I am currently raising funds to obtain a wheelchair accessible van for myself. Currently, my family of 5 is in a 2018 midsize SUV that has no accessibility accommodations; therefore my husband has to assist me into our vehicle. As a mother of three children, transportation is essential for our daily life — from school activities to medical appointments and everything in between. Being able to get myself in and out of our family vehicle independently, as well as having ample space to accommodate our growing boys, would be a life changer for my entire family.

My time at St. John's helped shape who I am today, and I remain incredibly grateful for the education and community I received there. This sense of community and inclusion is exactly why I am reaching out to the alumni in hopes of receiving help. Any support you can offer would be deeply appreciated whether you are able to donate to this cause or simply share it with others. My entire family would like to thank you in advance for your consideration as this would benefit us all greatly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Donate to Empower Megan's Independence with a New Van, organized by Megan Valente

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hi! My name is Megan. I am a mom of 3. I am a wheelchair user with Cerebral ... Megan Valente needs your support for Empower Megan's Independence with a New Van

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Megan Valente and I am a proud alumna of SJU Class of 2012. I am reaching out to the alumni of SJU in hopes that they are willing to help support or share a fundraising effort that is very important to my family. I am currently raising funds to obtain a wheelchair accessible van for myself. Currently, my family of 5 is in a 2018 midsize SUV that has no accessibility accommodations; therefore my husband has to assist me into our vehicle. As a mother of three children, transportation is essential for our daily life — from school activities to medical appointments and everything in between. Being able to get myself in and out of our family vehicle independently, as well as having ample space to accommodate our growing boys, would be a life changer for my entire family.

My time at St. John's helped shape who I am today, and I remain incredibly grateful for the education and community I received there. This sense of community and inclusion is exactly why I am reaching out to the alumni in hopes of receiving help. Any support you can offer would be deeply appreciated whether you are able to donate to this cause or simply share it with others. My entire family would like to thank you in advance for your consideration as this would benefit us all greatly.

Below you will find the link to my GoFundMe.

https://gofund.me/f39a0feed

Thank you,

Megan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Donate to Empower Megan's Independence with a New Van, organized by Megan Valente

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hi! My name is Megan. I am a mom of 3. I am a wheelchair user with Cerebral ... Megan Valente needs your support for Empower Megan's Independence with a New Van

# data[].attributes.body
Christine is a longtime St. John's University administrator and is in need of a kidney. Please read her story via the link below and consider helping.

https://www.stjohns.edu/news-media/news/2025-08-26/equation-hope-longtime-st-johns-administrator-must-find-kidney-donor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An Equation for Hope: Longtime St. John’s Administrator Must Find a Kidney Donor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Christine M. Goodwin ’96C, ’98G, ’07PD, ’21Ed.D., is not one to leave things to chance. At 51, she has built a career as Assistant Provost for Institutional Research in St. John’s University’s Office of Institutional Research.

# data[].attributes.headline
Help needed for Alumni and Delta Zeta Sister Jessica Mattera Bolz

# data[].attributes.subject
Help needed for Alumni and Delta Zeta Sister Jessica Mattera Bolz

# data[].attributes.body
https://gofund.me/e8f419dd

Jessica has had one of the most surreal lives of anyone I know. She survived cancer three times, had a double mastectomy, her spleen removed, she was widowed when her husband, John Bolz (also an SJU Alumni) was killed in a car accident and she was left to raise her two sons, one of whom is autistic, on her own. She's a fighter and survivor and always put others before herself.

She's now in a fight for her life and needs help! On Monday, November 6, 2023, Jessica suffered a massive heart attack due to the toll years of chemotherapy and radiation took on her body. She was on life support at Duke University Medical Center for the past month and underwent heart transplant surgery on December 9th in order to survive.

For this incredibly kind woman, in her most desperate time of need, I ask that you give anything you can - and please share this GoFundMe as help is sorely needed.

These funds will be used to assist Jessica and her family with expenses, medical expenses related to her hospital stay and heart transplant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Jessica has had one of the most surreal lives of anyone I know. She survived cancer three times, had a double mastectomy, her spleen removed, she was widowed when her husband was killed in a car accident and she was left to raise her two sons, one of whom is autistic, on her own. She's a fighter and survivor and always put others before herself.

She's now in a fight for her life and needs help! On Monday, November 6, 2023, Jessica suffered a massive heart attack due to the toll years of chemotherapy and radiation took on her body. She is presently on life support at Duke University Medical Center and her prognosis is she needs a heart transplant in order to survive.

For this incredibly kind woman, in her most desperate time of need, I ask that you give anything you can - and please share this GoFundMe as help is sorely needed.

These funds will be used to assist Jessica and her family with expenses, medical expenses related to her hospital stay and pending/possible heart transplant.

For those who don't know me, I've been a friend of Jessica's since 1997, having worked together at Lehman Brothers. I currently am Jessica's Financial Advisor and secondary Healthcare Proxy.

Read more

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

Easy

Donate quickly and easily.

Powerful

Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Please consider helping Jessica Bolz & her boys.., organized by James Parascandola

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jessica has had one of the most surreal lives of anyone I know. ... James Parascandola needs your support for Please consider helping Jessica Bolz & her boys..

# data[].attributes.body
Michael Carr, a St. John's student from the Staten Island Campus, just passed away. We appreciate all of your help throughout these difficult times.

https://gofund.me/2773e2c6

Best Regards,

Nicholas Riccardelli

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hi. my name is Lisa. After a very brief illness my beautiful 20 year old nephew, Mikey, passed away yesterday. He leaves behind a devastated and broken family that have to learn how to live life without him. They would never ask anyone for anything, however, no one should have to bury a child and no one is ever prepared for the unfortunate details you have to deal with like funeral homes and burial sites. Also, I am sure they are going to be sent many expensive hospital bills for all the days of care he received in the critical care unit. So many people have reached out to me and to my sister asking what they can do. If you would like to contribute so that we can have a beautiful sendoff and resting place for Mikey, please do. It is one less thing for Mike and Laura to have to worry about during this tragic time in their life. Below is a little bit of a story about Mikey and what he meant to us all

I can't believe that I am writing this. It is like a nightmare that we never expected. Anyone who knew my nephew Mikey knows that he was an amazingly sweet, funny, smart and handsome boy. I saw him close-up in the roles of son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, boyfriend and friend, and he brought something special to each one of those. He developed a virus, Epstein Barr virus, that many of us have likely had at one point or another that attacked his body with a vengeance causing leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, pneumonia, and sepsis. It confounded many brilliant doctors at one of the best Childrens hospitals in New York. Unfortunately, God took him before they could make him better. But I want everyone to know how hard he fought. What he went through in two weeks would have killed many of us much sooner. He was so very strong. His passing has left a huge hole in so many hearts that will never heal. We can only try to go on and be comforted to know he is at peace in heaven. I ask for prayers for us all. My mom, who was the best grandma to him. My kids, who considered him more of a brother than a cousin. His relationship with CJ. was one of a kind. And please say the most prayers for my sister Laura, the most devoted and loving mother I know. Mike, who was the dad we all wish to have. His love for Mikey was all-encompassing. He did not leave the hospital for 12 days. Caitlyn, my niece, who had a special, unique bond with Mikey. We are all so broken. I can't think of any other word that describes it any better than that. Thank you to those that have reached out, but I am really unable to talk right now. The hurt is still much too raw, but I know there is so much love being sent to us.

Read more

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

Easy

Donate quickly and easily.

Powerful

Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hi. my name is Lisa. After a very brief illness my beautiful 20 year old nephew, Mikey, passed away yesterd... Lisa Carolan needs your support for Mikey Carr

# data[].attributes.body
Good Afternoon SJU Family,

Hope all is well.

I am sending the link below to you for your review as I am running for Visionary of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I am proud to be a SJU Alumni and would like to know if my Story/Link can be shared to Students, Faculty and Staff as the fundraiser is ending on June 6th, 2023. Please see link below:

https://pages.lls.org/voy/li/li23/jguerrero

Best Regards,

Jonathan Guerrero

# data[].attributes.body
Hi All,
I am Rudy Funke, a graduate of the SJU College of Business Administration and of the School of Law. While my wife Frances is not a Johnnie, she spent so much time at St. John's that she is even pictured in several St. John's yearbooks! Anyway, that was then but now what she really needs is a kidney!
First a little background,. Frances was born in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn and raised in a two room apartment (to be clear that is two rooms and not two bedrooms) and m money always seemed tight so she decided early on to become financially independent and majored in accounting at Pace College. During her time there Fran was a trailblazer as one of the few women, and sometimes the only woman, in those classes. Even though she went to night school (needing to work days to earn money to p ay her tuition), Fran graduated in only 4 and 1/2 years with grades so high that obtained employment on graduation with one of the then Big Eight accounting firms where once again she was one of the few women hired. After that, Fran worked at several major corporations before responding to a higher calling: motherhood.
Frances and I have had a great life together for many decades with two sons and 4 grand but a few years ago things began to change for the worse. with the onset of kidney failure that are now working at 10% effectiveness. This has necessitated the start of peritoneal dialysis, a very time consuming and complicated process that must be done for about 8 to 10 hours daily to clean her bodily fluids. (The cause of her kidney problems are Type 2 diabetes inherited from her father and high blood pressure inherited from her mother, the combination of which are known as kidney killers!)

# data[].attributes.headline
Help a fellow Alumnus - Gio (Giovanny Leon)

# data[].attributes.subject
Help a fellow Alumnus - Gio (Giovanny Leon)

# data[].attributes.body
Click here to Donate
In the early morning of March 8, 2023, a tragic fire broke out in a 6-story apartment building on Bronx River Road in Yonkers, NY. The blaze ended up sadly claiming the life of a building resident, injured many including first responders, and displaced hundreds of families. Unfortunately our friend/colleague/brother/and loved one lost his apartment and all of his belongings in the fire.

Thankfully Gio (Giovanny Leon) was able to safely evacuate his 6th-floor apartment via the building's fire escape. He purchased this apartment in the summer of 2022 and had just finished all of the improvements he had wanted to make to his new home.

For those that don't know Gio, he is not one to ask for help but is always the first to help others. He will be using your donations to help put his life back together and any excess funds will be donated to other members of the building community. We thank you for all of your help and generosity.